A Soldier's Heart
by Gemini14
Summary: Toward the Terra AU. When Soldier Blue's path crosses with that of another soul in need of help, how much will this meeting change destiny?
1. Part One

A Soldier's Heart

_**Part One**_

_My tale begins, deep within a lab, far below the city of Ataraxia. For three hundred years, I have slept here; undisturbed. Neither the normal humans nor the Mu know that I exist_….._Save for maybe just one, but his life-force has been weakening, of late. I can feel it, every time his soul makes one of its' forays into the city proper. What is he searching for? Who is he seeking, amongst the masses of brainwashed simpletons? I grit my teeth, as my resentment makes the thrice-damned computer react, and as the metal bands at my neck, wrists, and ankles become unbearably hot_….._but I do not give it the pleasure of hearing me scream. Instead, I focus my pain, in fact, even all of my energies, into once again trying to make contact with the one whom I share more than just my appearance with_……_Hoping against all reasonable hope that maybe, just maybe, he'll hear me this time_…._and that he will finally set me free from this torture_…..

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Three hundred years. Quite a long time, in the normal scheme of things…..Soldier Blue sighed tiredly, as he made his way down the hall. Even though he had just been 'out' for a short while, it felt almost as though he hadn't rested properly in years.

"_And I am certain that Zel and the others would give me quite an earful, if that were true._" Soldier Blue inwardly sighed; partially shielding his mind from those in question, while still wearily allowing passersby to know just what he was thinking.

"_You shouldn't think things like that, Soldier._" One of those thought of mentally said, as he emerged from one of the rooms into the hallway, and walked alongside the troubled Mu chief.

"_I know. And I apologize, Harley._" Soldier Blue amended, a bit sheepishly; that one moment melting away the years from him, and making him seem more like a scolded schoolboy, rather than the leader of a group of refugees. At this, the captain of the _**Shangri-La**_ could only chuckle and shake his head.

"No need to apologize, old friend. Even I can agree that Zel is a force to be reckoned with, sometimes." Harley admitted, then added, as he gazed at how worn thin his friend now looked, "Though I'll have to admit that you're not looking as though you're feeling very well."

"It won't be long before we can bring Jomy on board. His fourteenth birthday is about six months off…..and already his telepathy is very strong." Soldier Blue murmured.

"Stronger than yours'?" Harley asked, as they began walking down the hallway.

"Not yet. Someday it will be, though." Soldier Blue replied; freezing in his tracks when something called out to him…..his blood actually chilling, when he heard how similar this voice was to his own.

"Soldier? What is it? Did you hear someone, just now?" Harley asked, concernedly, when he'd seen all the color drain from Soldier Blue's face…..and felt genuine alarm, when his knees suddenly buckled out from under him.

"I-it was…..a voice…..but I couldn't….hear the words…..Pain…..so much pain….." Soldier Blue gasped, as the sensations of the sender washed over him…..Freezing cold combined with searing heat in his neck, wrists, and ankles…..telepathic waves designed to tear apart one's psyche, one piece at a time……the wordless, agonized cries of the sender's soul, as whole chunks of his mind were shredded, healed, and then shredded again…..With great effort, Soldier Blue struggled to get to his feet again; grimacing as some of the mental screams still got through to him, even as he put up a barrier against it.

"Soldier!" Harley almost yelped, when the other man had finally managed to get his feet under him again; his raised voice getting the attention of a few others (and as they also gathered worriedly around their leader).

"I…..I'm all right, Harley…..No need…..for alarm….." Soldier Blue painfully said, as he leaned against one of the walls, and gasped for breath.

"What is it, Soldier? Is Jomy in some kind of trouble?" one of the cadets asked, concernedly; feeling confused when Soldier Blue shook his head.

"No…..Jomy is safe, for the moment……This voice was that of a stranger….." Soldier Blue quietly replied, then silently added, "_And yet, why had his voice sounded like mine? Could this be my brother? Or is it_…..?"

"Tell Physis that I am coming. I need to speak to her before I head out." Soldier Blue commanded; coming to a decision to look into the desperate voice at once.

"Right away!" another of the cadets responded, before racing off to do just that.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

_As soon as I am unconscious, the damned computer finally stops; the command it had been given by it's programmers coming into effect, once again. Coherent thought is an elusive thing, thanks to the mental torture I had just been subjected to_…._and yet, I can feel that something is different, this time around. The distant presence that has been in the back of my mind since the first day of my existence finally seems to know that I exist_…._and for a brief moment, a tentative hope begins to take root in my heart. All I can hope for, is that he comes soon_…._and that my own life doesn't come to an end, before I can meet him._

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Physis 'looks' up, when she senses Soldier Blue's troubled thoughts, and just how rattled his soul seemed to be.

"_Soldier? What is it? What's wrong?_" Physis wondered, as she heard him enter the chamber; feeling even more worry emerge for him, when she sensed just how anxious this incident has made him.

"Physis, did you feel anything, just now?" Soldier Blue asked, abruptly; surprising the soothsayer with the tone he had just used with her.

"I…..I felt something…..For a brief moment, I thought I heard your voice…..but it was so pained….." Physis replied; noticing when her words caused even more agitation to manifest itself in the Mu leader.

"I'm going to go and look into it. I'm taking Leo and a few of the other cadets with me. It shouldn't take long." Soldier Blue said, as Harley arrived behind him, and when said captain gave him an alarmed look for his rash decision.

"But…..!" Harley tried to say, yet only got a stubborn look from the crimson-eyed man in front of him…..a look that brooked no argument. At this, Physis could only sigh and nod in agreement.

"Perhaps…..you should go now……The cards had foretold something strange, this time….." Physis quietly said, her words getting looks of curiosity from the two men in response.

"Did it have anything to do with this voice we both heard, Physis?" Soldier Blue questioned, even as he silently told Leo and the rest to get ready for the mission ahead. Tentatively, Physis nodded.

"The Twin is coming…..but you must hurry…..Death wants to claim him….." Physis said, cryptically, as she glanced back at the table where her tarot cards were laid out.

"I think I understand…..Harley, tell sickbay to be ready by the time I return. Whoever the owner of this voice is, he might be in dire straits by the time we get him back here." Soldier Blue commanded, strongly. And, albeit reluctantly, Harley agreed.

"_Soldier Blue?_" Leo's questioning thought came; returning Soldier Blue's full attention to the mission before him.

"_Yes, Leo?_" Soldier Blue replied, promptly.

"_We're ready when you are._" Leo said, even though a hint of trepidation could be heard in his mental tone.

"_Good. I'll be right down._" Soldier Blue answered, before immediately teleporting himself to where the younger Mu now waited.

"_Be careful, Soldier._" Harley sent, uneasily; not liking this development in the slightest.

"_I will. Trust me on that._" Soldier Blue said; allowing himself almost a snicker, when he sensed Harley's skepticism to that particular promise.

"_Bullshit._" Was Harley's only response to his promise.

"_Oh ye of little faith_….." Soldier Blue retorted, before he and the younger Mu left the ship, and started heading in the direction the faint presence was coming from…..only hoping, at this point, that they would be able to return relatively unharmed.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

_Ever so slowly, awareness returns to me. Even though my vision is still badly blurred by the torture to my psyche, I can see that something is different, this time around. _

"_What have you done?! What have you called here, beast?!" the computer asks; breaking it's centuries'-long silence in the face of this development. At this, I only sneer at it, derisively._

"_You should know, you rotten collection of bolts and wires! Can't you 'sense' what is about to happen? Or is it that I have been wrong all along about your being able to delve deep into my mind for answers?" I snapped, and get shocked again by the metal bands for my boldness._

"_Answer me! I demand an answer!" the computer hissed, angrily._

"_Demand all you like! I will tell you NOTHING!" I reply, stubbornly; gritting my teeth when the electrical current gets stronger._

"_Insolent creature! Do you not even realize what kind of mistake you have made?!" the computer howled, furiously._

"_Any 'mistake' I have made, I will make up for on my own_….._I don't need the help of some over-glorified bucket of bolts!" I answered; becoming angry now, despite the intensifying pain that was now going through my body_….._Somehow finding the strength to force myself to my feet, and summoning my latent powers to come to my aid. And then, all at once, I feel it; the presence I have grown up with_….._have lived all this time with_….._was getting closer_….._Closing in even faster than before, now that my own powers are surfacing_……

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

They were quite some distance from the _**Shangri-La**_, when Soldier Blue and his group suddenly felt what seemed to be an almost psionic roar come from one of the many caverns…..and then heard and felt the tremendous explosion that followed.

"_It came from straight ahead!_" Leo silently shouted, before Soldier Blue took off in that direction.

"_Soldier! Wait! Don't go it alone!_" one of the cadets called, yet went pretty much ignored by the stubborn rebel leader.

"_Harley and the rest of the Elders are gonna kill me_….." Leo inwardly muttered, as he and the cadets followed their leader as closely as they could….only wondering, now, just what they were about to be faced with…..

"_Such strength! Whoever it is that has this power, must be almost as strong as Soldier Blue!_" one of the cadets muttered, as they slowly caught up with the stubborn Mu leader.

"_If I didn't know any better_….._I'd almost say that the one we're going to rescue_….._is__ Soldier Blue_….._But how could that be? There should only be one Soldier Blue_…._shouldn't there?_" Leo wondered, as they neared the place where the mysterious presence was coming from; skidding to an abrupt halt, when an unbelievable sight came to his eyes. Just six feet in front of him, stood Soldier Blue; his eyes wide with disbelief, and even some horror, as he stared at the same thing the younger Mu now saw. There, floating before what appeared to be an obliterated, computer-run lab, was what appeared to be a young man. Long, dingy white hair floated weightlessly around his scarred, pallid body, and bright crimson eyes struggled to focus on them. His naked skin was covered in sweat and blood, most of it coming from the deep wounds under the metal bands on his wrists, neck, and ankles.

"You…..you are the one who had called me…." Soldier Blue murmured, as he took a step forward; throwing aside caution in favor of trying to get the stranger to calm down before he burned himself out. In answer to his comment, the stranger nodded slightly; his strength wavering as he did so.

"_Who are you? What happened here?_" Leo asked, as he also tentatively stepped forward; trying to keep his posture as neutral as possible, so he wouldn't spook the badly abused Mu before them.

"_I_….._have no name_….._Have never_….._had a name_….._At least_….._not one of true worth._" The stranger mentally whispered, as he began to descend; physically and mentally spent, from having broken out of his own prison. Quick to react to this, Soldier Blue rushed forward; barely catching the severely weakened Mu before he could hit the ground, and feeling it when a jolt traveled through him upon contact. In his mind's eye, he could see the lab as it had looked long ago…..the scientists that had run it…..the equipment within it…..and then the reflection of one of the 'birthing tubes' came to his eye…..Almost reeling back in shock when he saw what it had held within it. There, floating within the synthetic amniotic fluid, fast asleep, floated a younger version of him!

"_W-what_….._does this mean?!_" Soldier Blue wondered, as he removed his cloak from his shoulders, and carefully wrapped it around the shivering young man; feeling another chill travel down his spine, when the stranger looked up at him, and gave him a haunted look.

"_The humans_….._had wanted to have a 'test subject'_….._after someone named 'Type Blue Origin'_….._escaped from them. And so_…._they made me._" The stranger softly said, within all of their minds; opening his heart to them, now that he knew that he was safe, at last.

"A clone…..You're a clone, then?" Soldier Blue whispered, numbed by what this meant.

"_Yes_…._and no. A true clone_…._wouldn't have survived_…._as long as I have._" The stranger said, tiredly.

"_What exactly are you, then?_" Leo questioned, yet only got a confused shake of the head from the stranger as an answer.

"_I don't know._" The stranger murmured, then added, "_I wish I knew_…."

"Well, you can tell us a bit more, after we have returned to the ship. Just rest easy." Soldier Blue said, as he carefully lifted the other Mu up off the ground, and then rushed off; carrying the rapidly weakening man back to the waiting _**Shangri-La**_ on his own, not waiting for the cadets and Leo to join him, before doing so.


	2. Part Two

_**Part Two**_

The _**Shangri-La**_ was in an uproar, the moment Soldier Blue returned with the dying clone in his arms. With badly-shaken looks in their eyes, the elders of the Mu could only watch as Soldier Blue carefully laid him on one of the beds in sickbay.

"Such an uncanny resemblance….." Zel muttered; speaking for all of the elders, in this instance, as sickbay personnel took over from there.

"But it doesn't make sense! Why would the Terra system go so far as to make a clone of Soldier?" another asked, uneasily, as she gazed at the pallid features of the other Mu.

"Good question…..and it's one he won't be able to answer, with certainty. All we can do now, is help him feel at home here. Can I count on all of you….?" Soldier Blue asked, wearily; the adrenaline from his rush into sickbay now well and truly spent.

"You can count on us, at least, Soldier." Another of the elders said, quietly, as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, and smiled at him.

"Thank you." Soldier Blue said, with no small amount of relief in his voice, before he then began to make his way out of the sickbay, and back to his own quarters; knowing that he still had more work to do, before he could rest.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

_For the first time in my long, pain-filled life, I feel nothing. Well, maybe that isn't __quite__ the truth_….._but at least the agony I had been forced to endure for so long has finally been stopped. And yet, even as I lie here, I can feel the minds of those who call this ship home_…._Their curiosity, (probably about my looks) and even_….._worry? Concern for my wellbeing? How strange._

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"There's been no change since he was first brought in here?" Soldier Blue asked, about a week or so later, as he and the head doctor in sickbay looked over the clone's charts. The doctor could only sigh and shake his head in some exasperation.

"Aside from the fact that his vitals are showing some improvement, and he's in some way aware of us, as we try to help him, he's shown no signs of waking any time soon. His mind is very closed off; whatever that damned computer had done to him, he's taken it upon himself to try and heal it alone." The doctor muttered, then added, "Very much like you would have done, in the same situation."

"I see…..I suppose I should try reaching out to him, next?" Soldier Blue asked, rhetorically, as he then turned and looked at the slumbering clone; focusing his mind on the clone's mind, and gently calling out to him.

"_Can you hear me?_" Soldier Blue asked, silently; jumping somewhat, when the clone became aware of him, and reached out as well.

"_Yes_….._I can hear you_…._It's just such a strange feeling_….._to know that __you__ can hear __me__._" The clone softly replied, his relief over finally being free of the lab still readily heard in his voice, as he spoke.

"_Had you been calling out to me for a long time, then?_" Soldier Blue questioned, as he closed the physical distance between them, and sat down beside the bed the clone now lay on; his eyes taking on a hint of sadness, as he did so. Ever so slightly, the clone nodded.

"_All my life_…." The clone answered, "_From the time I was 'born', till now, I have been telepathic_….._In the back of my mind, I could sense you_…._But lately, your life-force has been getting weaker_…." At this, Soldier Blue could only manage an abashed smile; for the first time in his long life, someone had seen right through him, and noticed the secret he has been hiding for a good while, now.

"_All living things die, Aoi. Even Mu._" Soldier Blue said, as he made sure that this thought was kept from the sickbay personnel nearby.

"'_Aoi'? Who is that?_" the clone asked, taken off-guard by the name, and by the Soldier's subsequent warm smile in response to his confusion.

"_That is your name, my friend. In an old language from Terra, it means 'blue'._" Soldier Blue replied; smiling again, when the clone opened his eyes, and gave him a bewildered look.

"_Then you have accepted me? What about the rest? Will they accept me, too?_" Aoi asked, as a look of childlike wonder began to appear in his bright red eyes.

"_What the rest of the Mu think shouldn't matter, Aoi. Your life is your own. Live it how __you__ see fit, not according to how others think you should live it._" Soldier Blue encouraged, as a tearful smile appeared in the newly named clone's ageless eyes, and on his face.

"Aoi…..My name….is Aoi….I have a name now….." Aoi whispered; his voice barely audible, amidst the sounds of the machines close by, and the sickbay personnel going about their business.

"And that is something no one can take away from you." Soldier Blue murmured, as he watched the clone take in this new development with wonder in his eyes.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

_And thus, I was named. In the days and weeks following that, I regained even more of my strength, and got to know the Mu who called the ship home. I even found myself exploring said ship_….._much to some of the Elders' dismay_….

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"Aoi! Wait! Slow down!" one of the cadets shouted, as a white-haired, red-eyed blur raced through the hallways.

"Not on your life, Toma! I mean to enjoy my newfound freedom!" Aoi replied, with a laugh, as he touched down on the metal floor, and skidded gracefully to a halt; grinning when the cadet's exasperated thoughts reached him.

"_Giving them a rough time of it, Aoi?_" Soldier Blue asked, as the spirit version of himself joined the exuberant clone in the hallway; smiling and sighing in some exasperation, when Aoi laughed softly at that.

"_Wouldn't be me if I wasn't, Blue. You know that better than anyone!_" Aoi answered, as both Toma and Leo arrived beside him; his eyes glinting with mischief, as they did so.

"_I am starting to wonder if __this__ is what fathers must feel like, when their sons are being too much to handle_…." Soldier Blue muttered, then gave his clone an odd smile. He remembered very keenly that it hadn't been too long ago, that Aoi had been too ill to even leave the sickbay….And now, it pleased him to see that said clone was regaining his strength, his scars were beginning to fade, and his heart was starting to open up to those around him. And yet, despite how much Aoi's progress pleased him, Soldier Blue knew that more pressing matters were still ahead, that needed to be handled.

"_If anything, I'll soon be able to make another foray into the educational city again. Aoi, can I count on you to keep an eye on things while I am 'out'?_" Soldier Blue asked, as he returned his attention to the trio before him; startling them with the sudden seriousness and certainty in his voice and eyes.

"Going to look in on Jomy again?" Aoi asked, in turn; not particularly liking the idea, but not arguing the point, either. He knew that the Mu Chief had chosen the unsuspecting teenager to be his successor sometime before, and it wasn't in him to try and dissuade Soldier Blue from carrying through with his plans. Soldier Blue nodded, then placed an insubstantial hand on Aoi's shoulder, in a comforting gesture, when he'd sensed the clone's unease.

"_I know you're uneasy about this, Aoi, but Jomy represents the future. Leo and Toma both know this, as well. Try not to worry. I will return safely._" Soldier Blue reassured.

"Unlike last time?" Aoi muttered, as a deadpan look appeared on his face; remembering how the last foray had gone, as well as how long Soldier Blue had been bedridden by it. At this, Soldier Blue's expression deadpanned as well.

"_Please, don't remind me._" Soldier Blue mumbled, a bit moodily, even as the two cadets quietly snickered at his expense, and as he rubbed his forehead in irritation at having been reminded of the recent mishap.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

_And yet, he still went. Even though the effort must have exhausted him, he still went out to see about his successor's wellbeing. I guess something can be said about stubbornness, in the face of physical weakness_…._and Soldier Blue is probably the most stubborn of us all_….

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Only the most sensitive of those on the ship could have felt Soldier Blue's return to the ship; as it was, if Aoi hadn't been sitting at his bedside when he 'returned', it would have gone completely unnoticed by everyone. All that announced it, was the sound of his breathing picking up slightly, and just the barest hint of a wince appearing on his pallid features, as his soul re-occupied his body again.

"Not…..one word…..Aoi." Soldier Blue managed to gasp, before opening his eyes, and giving him a weak glare. At this, Aoi could only hold both hands up in front of him in a wordless gesture to shield himself from the Mu Chief's words, and the piercing look he'd just given him.

"I didn't say a word, Blue." Aoi replied, honestly (or, then again, maybe not as honestly as he would have liked).

"But….you were…..thinking it." Soldier Blue grumbled, as he slowly forced himself to sit up; reluctantly accepting a glass of water from the clone, after he had done so. At this, he got a feigned look of insult from Aoi, which quickly became a slight grin.

"Yare, yare…...So, how was Jomy, this time?" Aoi asked, as he sat down on the bed beside Soldier Blue.

"Uneasy about his upcoming Adult Examination, nervous about whatever the future holds in store for him…..The usual….." Soldier Blue murmured, as he rubbed his forehead with one hand, and sighed wearily.

"Think you're going to need any help in the fight against Terra's Number Five?" Aoi questioned, when he'd sensed how tired the Mu leader truly was. At this, all he got was a shake of the head.

"No….Though your help is going to be needed, when we bring him here." Soldier Blue replied, quietly.

"How am I going to be of any help, in that?" Aoi couldn't help but ask, as he watched Soldier Blue get up; his own apprehension growing, as he thought of the upcoming battle.

"Just help him find his place here. That's all I ask." Soldier Blue said, in response, as they both left his quarters, and started heading to the room where the Elders and Harley were waiting.

"_Help him find his place here? How do I do that, when I'm not even sure what __mine__ is?_" Aoi wondered, as they made their way to the meeting room. Despite his time on board the ship, and the friendships he'd forged during that time, he could still sense that he didn't quite fit in with the rest of the Mu. Even though his telepathic powers were on par with Soldier Blue's, just the fact that he was a clone of their leader, set him apart.

"_It's been almost half a year since I was freed from that hellhole_…._and yet, even though they trust me to some small extent_…._a good number of them still think I might be a spy, sent by those damned computers_….." Aoi mused, as he abruptly left Soldier Blue's side, and headed for his favorite spot on the ship itself; the outer hull. Several weeks prior, Harley had moved the _**Shangri-La**_ out of its' underground berth, and into the thick clouds just beyond the mountains that bordered Ataraxia City; doing his part to prepare for Jomy's imminent arrival.

"_Quite a sight_….._Even though all I can see are clouds, and the ground beneath us is barren and dry, it's still a far cry better than what I had seen day in and day out in that damned lab!_" Aoi inwardly sighed, as he took his usual seat on the _**Shangri-La**_'s nose, and started cloud-watching.

"Thought I'd find you out here!" a woman's voice said, after a few moments; startling Aoi into turning, and seeing one of the Elders appear just a foot or so behind him.

"Ella-san…..Am I in trouble again?" Aoi asked, as he looked questioningly up at her; feeling even further confused, when she chuckled, and in turn gave him a warm smile.

"No, you're not in any kind of trouble, Aoi. It's just that Soldier was a little concerned about you, that's all. He knows how uneasy you are about this." Ella replied, as she took a seat beside the clone; her mismatched eyes showing true warmth, when she sensed the confusion within Aoi.

"It's within reason, Ella-san. Soldier's about to try something that has never been attempted before…..To interfere while Terra's Number Five is starting Jomy's Adult Exam…Will he have enough strength to pull it off on his own?" Aoi murmured, then glared at the clouds in front of him, "Damn it, I wish he'd let me pitch in!"

"_He's so like Soldier, in that respect_….._He wants to help the one who had helped him, and is frustrated that he can't._" Ella thought, as she watched Aoi continue to sit and glare into the thick clouds.

"I think he just wants you to save your strength, for the real test to come….That being our leaving Artemesia behind, and heading for Terra." Ella said, as she tried to calm Aoi's nervousness a little bit.

"Personally, Ella-san, I honestly don't see what's so great about Terra, to begin with….and I know Blue won't live long enough to see it for himself…..What guarantee do we have that I'll make it? I'm already three hundred years old and I'm a clone! It's a miracle that I have even survived this long outside of that artificial womb I had been imprisoned in!" Aoi stated, in some agitation, then softly added, "My life could turn out to be even shorter than his remaining time….." Yet Aoi could only feel some surprise, when Ella suddenly reached out to him and embraced him gently; holding him close in an effort to comfort him in some way.

"You shouldn't worry so much about that, Aoi…..Live each day as it comes, and don't dread it. And….when Soldier's time does come…..live on for your own sake." Ella murmured, as some tears appeared in her eyes, but she didn't allow them to fall.

"I'll try, Ella-san…..That's all I can say…..I'll try….." Aoi quietly promised, even though he wasn't feeling as certain as he would have liked. And little did they realize, just what kind of trial they were all about to face…


End file.
